Warriors: The Next Journey
by Pixelfire
Summary: Many moons after the final Dark Forest battle, the clans are at peace and thriving. There is food, peace, and even twoleg activity has receded. But a new threat is starting to appear, and even StarClan could not predict the threat that is on its way.


Disclaimer: I do not own the warriors series, or any of the original cats in it. I decided to make this because I really like the series, hence why it is a fanfiction. I do not intend to make any profit, so there is no reason to sue me.

Also, this series takes place after the Last Hope, so if you don't like spoilers and haven't gotten up to that point I don't recommend this to you.

And lastly, I just wanted to say that this is my first fanfiction, and my first real attempt at writing. I've written some other things, but never like this. I came up with the plot for this story sometime before the Survivors series came out. I'll try my best to make this a good story.

Hope you like!

ALLEGIANCES

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER: BRAMBLESTAR- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

DEPUTY: SQUIRRELFLIGHT- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: JAYFEATHER- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

APPRENTICE, SNOWFALL

WARRIORS: (toms, and she-cats without kits)

BLOSSOMFALL- tortoiseshell and white she-cat

APPRENTICE, FERNPAW

LEAFPOOL- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

LIONBLAZE- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

FOXLEAP- fluffy reddish-brown tabby tom with a glossy pelt

APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAW

BUMBLESTRIPE-very pale gray tom with black stripes and a torn ear

IVYPOOL-silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

MOLEPELT- large cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes.

CHERRYWHISKER- fluffy ginger she-cat with amber eyes.

CINDERHEART- gray tabby she-cat

LILYFLIGHT- dark tabby she-cat with white patches

SEEDFALL- very pale ginger she-cat

AMBERWING- pale gray she-cat with white paws, a white muzzle, a white right ear, and amber eyes

DEWPELT- gray tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

WILLOWPAW- sleek dark gray she-cat with green eyes

FERNPAW- gray tabby she-cat

SHADEPAW- spotted black and dark gray tom with green eyes

QUEENS: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

DOVEWING- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Bumblestripe's kits

ELDERS: (former warriors, now retired)

GRAYSTRIPE- long-haired gray tom

SPIDERLEG- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

MILLIE- striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: ROWANSTAR- ginger tom

DEPUTY: TIGERHEART- dark brown tabby tom

MEDICINE CAT: LITTLECLOUD- very small tabby tom

APPRENTICE, BRACKENFLIGHT- gold tabby tom with long whiskers

WARRIORS: (toms, and she-cats without kits)

SMOKEFOOT-black tom

FERRETCLAW- cream-and-gray tom

APRENTICE, NEEDLEPAW

PINENOSE- black she-cat

STARLINGWING- ginger tom

SCORCHFUR- dark gray tom with a torn ear

OLIVENOSE-tortoiseshell she-cat

APPRENTICE, FOGPAW

APPLEFUR-mottled brown she-cat

PRICKLETAIL- large black tom with white front paws and stomach and tangled messy fur

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

NEEDLEPAW- Dark gray tom with wiry fur

FOGPAW- large dappled gray she-cat

QUEENS: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

DAWNPELT- cream-furred she-cat (mother of Smolderkit, dark gray she-cat with light-gray specks, and Stonekit, light gray tom)

ELDERS: (former warriors, now retired)

KINKFUR-tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

IVYTAIL- long furred, wiry, black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

WINDCLAN

LEADER: ONESTAR- brown tabby tom

DEPUTY: SEDGEWHISKER- light brown tabby she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: KRESTALFLIGHT- mottled gray tom

APPRENTICE, BIRDPAW

WARRIORS: (toms, and she-cats without kits)

FURZEPELT- gray and white she-cat

WEASELFUR- lithe ginger tom with white paws

APPRENTICE, GRAYPAW

EMBERFOOT- gray tom with two darker gray paws and a scar that runs on his back

APPRENTICE, MEADOWPAW

LEAFTAIL- dark tabby tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

GRAYPAW- sleek gray tabby she-cat with gray-blue eyes

MEADOWPAW- Light gray tabby she-cat

QUEENS: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

SWALLOWTAIL- Dark gray she-cat expecting kits

ELDERS: (former warriors, now retired)

ASHFOOT- gray she-cat

WEBFOOT-dark gray tabby tom

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: MISTYSTAR- gray she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY: ROBINWING- pale-furred tortoiseshell and white tom

MEDICINE CAT: WILLOWSHINE- gray tabby she-cat

WARRIORS: (toms, and she-cats without kits)

MINTFUR- light gray tabby tom

TROUTSTREAM- pale gray tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, RAINPAW

GRASSPELT- light brown tom

MALLOWNOSE- light brown tabby tom

APPRENTICES: (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

RAINPAW- blue-gray tabby she-cat

SWIFTPAW- thin, sleek silver tom with green eyes

QUEENS: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

RUSHTAIL- small light brown tabby she-cat with short legs, expecting kits

MINNOWTAIL- sleek dappled dark gray and white she-cat with fluffy downy fur, amber eyes, and a light strong body (mother to Streamkit, dark gray tabby tom with a white blaze, Shallowkit, gray tabby tom with amber eyes, and Frostkit, light gray and white she-cat)

ELDERS: (former warriors, now retired)

GRAYMIST- pale gray tabby she-cat

CATS OUSIDE OF THE CLANS

BEAVER- muscular dark brown tom

FOX- large sleek red tom with amber eyes

JENNY- gray tabby she-cat with white ears

CUPCAKE- white and light gray she-cat

SMOKY- muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace

Chapter 1

It was mid-newleaf and a cool breeze wove its way through the forest. The forest floor was spotted with leaves and patches of sunlight that peered through the tree tops. Everything was so peaceful as it usually was. There was plenty of prey to go around and none of the other clans were competing. Aside from an occasional fox sighting or passing rogue nothing ever really happened in ThunderClan. This kind of peace was almost boring.

Willowpaw padded along through the forest on her own. It was told that apprentices weren't supposed to leave camp without permission from a warrior or a medicine cat but nobody really seemed to care because nothing happened and it was never dangerous. The only things she had to worry about were Lionblaze, her father, and Foxleap, her mentor. Sure, afterwards she'd be in trouble for skipping a patrol or two or missing practice but it wasn't like she hadn't done this before. She'd done this as a kit before too, and why stop once she became an apprentice?

Besides, clan life was so boring she'd never even need to learn to fight.

"Willowpaw!" Foxleap hissed from behind her. Willowpaw's fur stood on end but she turned around to face him.

"What now Foxleap?" She whined.

"You just don't care I suppose." Foxleap sighed, his tail lashing back and forth. "It's thanks to your wandering that we missed the patrol." He stated, irritated.

"You could have gone without me you know, it's a simple as that."

"No I couldn't have! You're my apprentice! It's my job to look after you but you need to at least work with me on this!" He hissed. Willowpaw looked down guiltily.

"I'm sorry." She replied. She couldn't help it, there was nothing else to do. Her disappearance couldn't have caused that much trouble could it?

Foxtail turned, his tail swishing behind him as he started to walk away. Before Willowpaw could respond Foxtail looked over his shoulder at her and spoke.

"Let's go. We have to be ready to join the patrol at sunhigh." He said before turning and walking again. Willowpaw's whiskers twitch and she padded off after him.

For most of the walk back to camp Willowpaw was silent as she watched the ground. Foxleap's questioning mew broke her from her thoughts.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked. She looked up for a short second and nodded then went back to watching the leaves as she passed over them. "Come on, cheer up Willowpaw. I know I yelled at you back there but everyone was just worried. You'll be alright right?" He asked. She remained silent and continued walking along calmly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just bored that's all." she sighed. Foxleap's whiskers twitched and she continued. "Nothing ever happens here. It's just dawn, sunhigh, sunset, moonhigh, day in and day out. Nothing exciting as far as I can remember ever happens." She stated as she continued walking.

"You should be grateful for that. Sure, not much happens lately but everyone is happy and well. Isn't that all that matters?"

Willowpaw flattened her ears. She'd heard stories of times when things were a lot harder than they were. She'd heard there were harsh cold times of leafbare and times when cats had gone hungry. She'd also heard of a fierce battle that had occurred before she was born against a group of cats known as the dark forest. But she didn't really believe something like that could've actually happened. The worst time she could remember is once when it was really cold in the winter and there wasn't enough prey to go around. That was when she was a kit. She used to have a brother, but he had died at birth that leafbare.

Lost in her thoughts Willowpaw barely noticed they were approaching the camp and halted as she found her self at the edge of the cliff. She turned and noticed Foxleap had already started going around and was almost to the thorn barrier. She bounded after him and skidded to a stop when she heard someone call her name

"Hey Willowpaw! Wait up!" Came the voice of another apprentice. Willowpaw turned to see her sister and Shadepaw running towards her. Her sister, Fernpaw was the one who called out to her, while Shadepaw had a huge fluffy squirrel in his jaws.

Willowpaw blinked. "What is it?"

"Where were you this morning? You missed our first hunting patrol. We were supposed to go together! Instead I got stuck with this furball!" she said, flicking her tail towards Shadepaw.

Shadepaw said something, but it was muffled out by the limp squirrel he was holding in his jaws.

"I guess I just forgot. Oh well, I didn't want to go on the patrol anyway." Willowpaw stated.

"It's apart of the warrior code, Willowpaw!" She mewed concernedly. Willowpaw padded along towards the thorn tunnel casually and then into the camp with Fernpaw and Shadepaw close behind. Shadepaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile and dropped his squirrel there then padded up to where Willowpaw and Fernpaw had sat down.

"Willowpaw, you never do anything. We've been apprentices for only a moon now and you're already skipping out on training and patrols." She stated concerned.

"Not to mention you're never any fun any more." Shadepaw added and twitched his nose.

Willowpaw stood up and padded into the apprentice den. She didn't want to hear all of them. Dust flew up in the air as she collapsed into her mossy nest. Her whiskers twitched, and she curled up into a tight ball as she forced herself to sleep.

The dark furred cat was in what seemed like WindClan territory, from what she'd seen of it, except the grass was golden and much longer, and gave off a beautiful amber color in the daylight. She weaved through it, trying to make the long golden blades stay as still as possible. Willowpaw moved like a snake as she caught the scent of a mouse close by. She was downwind of it, and soon caught sight of it. She started creeping forward, with nothing in her way.

"Willowpaw!" She heard a voice yell. The mouse dashed away, and Willowpaw adjusted her ears trying to find the source of the sound.

"Hurry up Willowpaw!" She heard. The dream faded away with all its vibrancy and Willowpaw lazily opened her eyes to find Fernpaw staring at her. She felt a heavy pressure on her chest as she started to sit up and figured her sister Fernpaw must've been shaking her.

"Come on Willowpaw this is no time to sleep, it's almost sunhigh and you've gotta be on the patrol!" Fernpaw declared, irritated.

"All right, I'm coming." Willowpaw moaned.

"You better be! And don't sneak off this time!" Her sister hissed. It sounded like Fernpaw was angry, but her words hid compassion and worry in them, like any sister should feel. Willowpaw stood up and stretched her back. After that she flicked her tail and exited the den into the sunlight. It had gotten reasonably cooler than it was earlier, and looking up Willowpaw could see large bundles of gray clouds in the sky. She walked around the camp as she waited for Foxleap to return.

Fernpaw padded over and sat down. "It looks like it's going to rain soon, huh?" She asked.

"That sounds like a bit of an underestimation; it looks more like we're in for a storm" Willowpaw observed. She was right, the sky was getting darker by the minute. She flicked her ears towards the elders den to see what they were talking about, but it was just about how rain made their joints ache. She flicked her ears towards Jayfeather's den, and it was reasonably quiet in there, except for soft footsteps and Shadepaw whining about a thorn stuck in his paw. It was still the same as always.

But still, Willowpaw couldn't help but think there was something coming. Almost like StarClan was warning her, her fur stood up a little just thinking about it.

"Are you okay?" Asked Fernpaw who drew Willowpaw out of her thoughts. Willowpaw looked up and over towards Fernpaw, who she'd almost forgotten was there.

"Yes I'll be fine" She replied.


End file.
